1 When can this phenomenon be considered normal?

In a nursing baby, this may well be normal, because its digestive system is different from an adult. Reflux in newborns helps to remove from the body excess food and air, which the child swallows with milk. GER in children in this way serves as a protection against getting too much food into the baby's stomach because it will not be absorbed as it should, and its way out is in some ways even necessary. If such a throw in the infant did not occur, then the food would begin to wander in the stomach, causing pain and discomfort.

As for the air, its output prevents unpleasant and painful sensations in the diaphragm area. If excess air remains in the child's body, the pressure inside also increases, that is, the child feels bad. Because reflux is a physiological mechanism that is natural and necessary.

GER in children up to a year is the norm. Closer to half a year the baby begins to slightly modify the organs of the digestive system, the work of the glands changes, the motor skills and sphincters change. By the year the child's reflux should disappear, but single cases can still continue to be observed.

2 The need for medical care

If reflux does not last a long time, it can talk about the following problems:

1. Misalignment of the esophagus, which may be too short, very dilated, or has a hernia.
2. To throw food into the esophagus may cause inflections of the gallbladder.
3. Overeating. If parents forcibly force to eat a child, then it does not lead to anything good, but provokes weakening of the sphincter, which in turn leads to improper operation of the stomach.
4. Gastroesophageal reflux can occur as a result of uncontrolled and prolonged use of certain medications, especially with theophylline content.
5. Power failure.
6. Frequent stresses and negative emotional experiences can also be brought to the conclusion that increased production of hydrochloric acid, and this leads to reflux.
7. Constipation.

If the child after eating regurgitation or vomiting, there are pain and discomfort in the stomach, constipation andbloating, then this is an occasion to consult a doctor.

Almost all parents do not attach any importance to the hiccup of the child, and this is also one of the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in children. Naturally, you need to sound an alarm if the hiccups torment the child often and for a long time.

Parents should know that if food is spilled into the bronchi, the baby often suffers from bronchitis, he may have a cough of incomprehensible etiology. When a child does not gain weight or lose it sharply, you should also consult a pediatrician.

It is necessary to show the child to the doctor if he became sluggish, apathetic, lost interest in toys, or vice versa, there was no motivated aggression. If the baby regurgitates or has vomiting after eating, and the parents notice hoarseness in his voice, or the child complains of sore throat, but there is no redness of the tonsils, this is also a pathological phenomenon.

Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in children of preschool and primary school age are manifested as vomiting or taste in the throat of stomach acid, some children complain of a sensation that a lump in the throat is stuck.

If a child is prone to asthmatic events, reflux may result in shortness of breath. Older children and adolescents can complain about sour taste in the mouth, nausea, pain when swallowing, burning in the sternum( which is heartburn) and a feeling of difficulty passing food through the esophagus.

3 Diagnosis of pathology

In order to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux, the pediatrician should conduct a thorough examination of the patient. If the baby is healthy, and reflux does not happen often, most likely, this phenomenon is temporary, and additional examination is not required. A doctor can simply give some advice to parents about the child's nutrition.

If a child is of school age, then a trial reflux treatment is prescribed, and only then it makes sense to conduct a study. With ineffective treatment or slow growth of the baby and minimal weight gain, a comprehensive examination is necessary. It includes:

• endoscopy, when the doctor examines in detail the mucosa of the esophagus;
• radiography with contrast substance - the procedure allows you to consider the structure of the stomach and esophagus;
• The pH of the esophagus allows you to find out how acid-base balance in the esophagus is close to or far from normal.

4 Methods of therapy

Diagnosis of the disease is not the only problem for doctors and parents. It is quite difficult to treat reflux in children. Drugs that are prescribed for this disease to adults, children can not be taken. Therefore, the treatment of the child's illness should be approached in a comprehensive way:

1. It is necessary to regulate the nutrition of the child. Food should be divided and in small portions. Overfeeding is strictly prohibited.
2. You should not put the baby to sleep right after eating.
3. To properly treat reflux, you need to know the reason why it occurred, and eliminate it.

As for medicines, sometimes doctors recommend a small course of antacids and proton pump inhibitors. If the child is diagnosed with a hernia, then it must be surgically removed.

As for older children, it is necessary to exclude some products from their diet: mint, chocolate, caffeine contribute to relaxation of the esophagus muscles, which allows the acid to penetrate into it and provoke inflammation. Sour drinks, cola, orange juice, too, can exacerbate the symptoms of reflux. It is necessary to limit the consumption of French fries and other fatty foods, because it slows down the process of emptying the stomach and provokes reflux.

You can try to raise the head of the bed by 15-25 cm. Such measures are effective for night heartburn: if the head and shoulders are above the stomach, then the force of gravity will not allow the acid to pour into the esophagus. It is better not to use a large number of pillows, and put the wooden blocks on the legs of the bed on the side of the headboard, because the child will not have an unnatural bending of the body. If the child has an excess body weight, then it is necessary to reduce it, perhaps a hundred then the symptoms of GER will decrease.

5 Preventative approach

To minimize the risk of pathology, parents must follow simple rules for feeding children:

1. It is advisable not to feed the child with too fatty food, also to reduce the consumption of salty and smoked food. Serve the child in warm clothes, hot and cold children are not recommended to eat.
2. It is advisable to exclude very acidic juices, because the acid contributes to excessive fermentation of the digestive system. Carbonated water and sweet fizzy drinks provoke the eruption, which also has a negative effect on the digestive system.
3. Parents should understand that smoking near a child can make him nauseous. To feed the child is not later than 3 hours before sleep, and if the child is inclined to regurgitation, then for some time you can put him a pillow higher, and in two hours replace with the usual.
4. It is necessary to monitor the weight of the child. Try to dress the baby so that the clothes do not squeeze the abdominal cavity. If he needs to take pills, make sure he drinks them with enough fluids. With frequent regurgitation and vomiting, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Do not delay the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux in children, this pathological condition can lead to weakening of the esophagus muscles, and, as a consequence, to problems with the digestive system.